Aside from the hardships brought about by the high qualifications set by the various colleges and universities operating, another principal concern by most college students today is the financial requirements of these learning institutions. The costs of financing one?s studies have gone up over the years. If a family can no longer support to spend for the education of a college student then the next best thing would be to apply for a student loan. It is thus not surprising that the percentage of students who avail of loans in order to finance their studies is similarly on the rise. In the United States alone, a survey was conducted and it revealed that at least half of its newly-graduates have student loans to pay off. This is indicative of the fact that having a student loan is normal for an individual who desires to finish a degree.

Whether you are still a student dealing with a student loan or a recent graduate burdened with accumulated student loans, there is a way that you can reduce or possibly eliminate your student loan. The two most common types of student loan debt reduction are debt consolidation or debt refinancing.

Under debt consolidation, your different student loans may be consolidated into only one loan. Under this scheme, by combining all your loans, you need to deal with only one interest rate, which is usually lower compared to when you average the rates for all your loans. The payment period is extended resulting to lower monthly installments for you. After consolidation, you only have to deal with one lending institution. Under debt refinancing, you have the choice of either getting a lower interest rate or spreading your payments into a longer period of time. Refinancing simply means trying to ask for better terms and conditions from your present financial situation.

Of the two types available, applying for debt consolidation to reduce your student loan debt is more advisable as it offers more benefits to you.